Court to rule on Zuma’s application for leave to appeal against reinstatement of corruption charges

The Supreme Court of Appeal will on Friday hand down judgment in the application for leave to appeal by President Jacob Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority in relation to the 783 corruption charges against Zuma.

Zuma and the NPA approached the court seeking to have a Pretoria High Court judgment — which held that the charges be reinstated — overturned.

However‚ at the 11th hour‚ during arguments at the SCA in September‚ Zuma conceded that the original decision to withdraw the charges had been irrational‚ as the high court had ruled.

However‚ Zuma wanted the opportunity to make new representations before the NPA decided to recharge him. This would leave the decision in the hands of NPA boss Shaun Abrahams‚ who is seen to be protecting Zuma.

The decision to drop the corruption charges against Zuma was taken in April 2009 by then acting national director of public prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe.

The decision was based on what became known as the spy tapes — recordings and telephone conversations that apparently showed political interference in the decision to charge Zuma.

The day after Mpshe’s announcement‚ the charges were withdrawn against Zuma in the High Court in Durban.

In 2010‚ Zuma was sworn in as president of the country. Six years later in April 2016‚ the High Court in Pretoria ruled that the NPA should reinstate the 783 counts against Zuma.